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MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK - KINDNESS MATTERS

​We are currently living in an unprecedented and uncertain period of time, arriving soon in a new ‘normal’ where the world will continue to turn, albeit differently. This has been, and will be, an incredible mindset shift that has been forced upon us and adaptability is vital. This will be one of the greatest challenges people will face in their lifetime, some will manage, but there are many others who will psychologically struggle. Not everyone is a superhero.

There will be clients and candidates who are currently working immensely hard to find opportunities in this current climate. Hours will be spent trying to create ideas and completing tasks in the rush to compete in the market. In this period, individuals will feel that they are struggling to manage with workloads, can’t deliver work to the standards they want, unable to separate their professional and personal life, or personal routine has been heavily displaced. This creates an environment of low self-esteem and self-worth. This is where we must be kind to ourselves and remember that we are not alone, currently 1 in 6 workers will experience depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress at any one time. Right now, everything is disjointed and we’ve had to majorly adapt to working from home, and our personal liberties have been restricted, yet we can be proud in the fact we have managed to adapt and still work. We are not working from home; we are trying to work in the middle of a crisis.

However, kindness to others is what will help organisations and individuals recover and thrive in this climate. It is imperative for colleagues to support each other and this could come in many forms. Non-work team catch ups, sending a card or present in the post, or even telling an individual, with sincerity, how good they are at their job can make a difference. From a commercial perspective, a business is measured by the sum of their parts and employees will play a determining factor on whether the firm survives or thrives. On average every year it costs businesses £1,300 per employee whose mental health needs are unsupported, therefore it is vital to check in on employee’s mental health. If there are those who are struggling, this will have a ripple effect across the business if they do not have appropriate support to help overcome this and work deteriorates.

Mental health is incredibly serious and requires effort to maintain, just like physical health. Currently 1 in 4 people experience mental health issues each year with 792 million people affected by mental health issues worldwide annually. Having good mental health is not the absence of diagnosable problems but it is the ability to learn, feeling and managing a range of positive and negative emotions, forming and maintaining good relationships with other people, and the ability to manage change in uncertain times. If you feel any of those of lacking, then be kind to yourself and focus on your successes, however if you see someone struggling then be kind to them and tell them how brilliant they truly are.

If you are struggling or need someone to talk to, we encourage you to reach out to Mind on 0300 123 3393 or info@mind.org.uk.